Chasewater Railway Museum

recent Addition, Dec 2015

Railway Heritage Designated Signal Box Sign

The Railway Heritage Committee has the function of designating records and artefacts (or classes of record and artefact) which are historically significant and should be permanently preserved.

This enamelled sign came from Stafford No.5 signal box, and was given to the Museum by Network Rail – our thanks to the Company.

Photo: tillyweb.biz

The sign can be seen set into the signal box. On one end is a white patch with a red arrow, and on the other, a clear white patch to balance up the sign.

It may be of interest to Chasewater Railway members that the Station Hotel, Stafford, where the inaugural meeting of the Railway Preservation Society, fore-runner of Chasewater Railway, was held in 1959, was approximately 150 yards from the signal box!

Model Railway Shows

• Sun 23rd March 2014

• G Scale Society – G Rail 2014

• Stafford Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, Staffordshire ST18 0BD

OPENING TIMES: 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.

ADMISSION: Adults £6.00

This event is the G Scale Society’s annual show incorporating their annual general meeting. The layouts are mainly at G Scale but other scales are being exhibited. There will be representatives from other societies and preservation groups. We will have a shuttle bus service from Stafford railway station to the Showground, throughout the day as well as a smaller bus transporting visitors between the exhibition halls and the Stafford and District Model Engineering Society’s miniature railway.

CONTACT: 01902 752061

• Sat 29th March 2014

• Belper Model Railway Group – Belper Model Railway Exhibition

• Strutt Centre, Derby Road, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 1UU

OPENING TIMES: SAT 10.00am – 5pm.

ADMISSION: Adults £2.50 Concessions £2.00 Children £1.50

Layouts from Z to 0 gauge. Strutt Centre is on the right hand side of the A6 when approaching from Derby opposite Babington Hospital and just after “The Tavern” Pub. from Center of Belper it is about 250 meters after the Morrison’s roundabout on the left hand side. The Trent Barton Sixes bus services stop outside the Center. Belper Railway Station (Matlock Branch Service) is about a 10 minute walk.

Sure enough a taxi arrived and took Sid to Wolverhampton High Level. The special train consisted of four brand new electric locomotives, two at each end of a test coach. It all looked very impressive. Alas, no-one had a key to open the doors on the coach, so Sid, a petite sixteen and a half stone, had to force his way in through the corridor connection. The key was hanging up in a corner of the coach.

Eventually everyone got on board. The driver of the electric loco was told ‘You’ve got a clear path through to Stafford. Go as fast as you can from here and don’t stop no matter what we do with the brakes until we get to Stafford.

‘Hello!’ thought Sid ‘This should be fun.’

The train started off and rapidly picked up speed. ‘Just a minute! called one of the inspectors, ‘The handbrake’s still on the coach!’

‘So take it off then’ chimed another inspector.

‘Could be tricky,’ said Sid ‘It’s external; there’s no way of getting at it from in here.’

The inspector applied the vacuum brake, but to no avail, the driver was carrying out hid instructions to the letter.

What a sight it must have been, four gleaming electric locos, pantographs sparking and flashing, with the tyres of the test vehicle flashing and sparking as well. As it turned out, the driver did not get the clear run he had been promised, and the train stopped near Penkridge. The inspectors hurriedly released the handbrake and climbed back onto the train. The signals changed and the driver set off once more.

‘THUMP THUMP THUMP’ went the coach wheels, which had huge flats on their tyres. The train accelerated up to Ninety miles an hour. ‘THUBITY THUBITY THUBITY’ the coach shook and vibrated. Things fell of shelves and out of cupboards. This was unbearable.

At long last the train arrived at Stafford. ‘Everything OK?’ asked the driver as he climbed down from his electric. The test crew, plus Sid, were ashen faced and feeling far from well.

‘No, not really,’ replied the inspector, and was promptly sick!The first ‘Peak’ Diesel leaving Stafford on an Up express

As we are all aware, the summer operating season at Chasewater is drawing to a close. Passenger receipts are down on last year; this is due to not operating the diesel service on the second and fourth Sundays, due in the main to weather conditions and lack of operating staff. We must all bear in mind that money made in the summer enables the Society and the Company to pay its way in the winter.

Our President Charles Ives was struck down with a coronary attack some five weeks ago. I am pleased to report to members that Charles is making a good recovery back to normal health. I am sure that all members will wish Charles a speedy recovery back to full health, and that we all hope to see him back to his cheerful and witty self in the chair at the AGM in September.

Maryport & Carlisle Carriage

Andrew Louch, ably assisted by Roger Pomlett, is pressing on steadily with the painting and restoration of this vehicle, time presses on!! We still assume that this vehicle is going to the Stockton & Darlington Anniversary.

MS & LR Carriage

John Elsley is now painting the exterior in gloss paint in preparation for the S & D Anniversary. This carriage is now a pleasure to behold!

Neilson 0-4-0STJune 1978 – Pic from D. Bathurst’s Collection

Excellent progress has been made on this loco, it is now back on all four wheels, the tank has been repaired and painted. The coupling rods have yet to be fitted. It is understood from sources that we may see the Neilson steamed before the winter sets in. A really great show on behalf of our Chairman Derek Luker and committee members Keith Sergeant and Brian Hames, as I have said before, real teamwork! A vote of thanks to all members who have helped on this project!!

Renovation of Small Relics

A start has been made in both tidying up the compound, and the painting of station seats and nameboards, etc., this is indeed a vast improvement. Thanks are due to Colin Marklew, Barry and others. Keep up the good work!!

The date for the proposed dinner to celebrate the fifteenth Birthday of the Society was given as Thursday, 17th October at 8.00pm at Eaton Lodge Hotel, Rugeley.

From No.10

This edition of the Newsletter is a special one, it is, as most members are aware, the Society’s Fifteenth Anniversary. The RPS was inaugurated at a meeting in October 1959 at the Station Hotel, Stafford (now sunk without trace). Six people were present, including myself. I had the honour of being elected the first secretary, a job which I continued holding through the formative years, standing down in 1968. The actual founder of the RPS movement was also present at the meeting, D. Noel Draycott. Noel was a man of endless enthusiasm, writing letters to the railway press, to the daily press and holding meetings up and down the country. Noel took over the job of General Secretary of the RPS. The West Midland District, as it was then known, had the honour of being the first group formed, closely followed by the London District RPS and Scottish District RPS. These groups are now known as Quainton Railway Trust and Scottish District RPS respectively. Noel Draycott acted as General Secretary over all the groups and edited the RPS Newsletter, getting news from the groups. Each group was autonomous and as most members realise, grew apart, particularly after Noel’s death at the early age of 38. Noel did however sow the seeds of a National group before his death, a body now known as the Association of Railway Preservation Societies eventually evolved.

We are proud of still carrying the RPS name, the original name of the old National Society.Stafford Station (the third one) and the Station Hotel – from staffspastrack

Then followed the usual progress reports on the Neilson, M & C carriage and the MS & LR carriage – all making steady progress and needing more volunteers!

Site Work

A very good start has been made in tidying up the site with lamp posts erected, signs and train indicators painted. The public as well as the members themselves have been impressed; we must maintain this standard and even improve on it.

RPS Model Railway Exhibition

This was held at the Forum Theatre, Cannock on 14th and 15th September. This was a huge success, and we must congratulate Andrew Louch, the organiser, for a splendid effort. Our grateful thanks to all those members who participated, fetching and carrying, working all hours and even staying the night. A special vote of thanks to Margaret Duffill and the other ladies who so ably assisted our refreshment manager Rob Duffill.

1975 Vintage – Pic from D. Bathurst’s Collection.

Peckett 0-4-0ST

This locomotive arrived on Friday 4th October from Wallsend. I understand it was late arriving due to tractor gearbox trouble! It was finally unloaded by the light of Tilley lamps at the crossing and finally hauled to the compound limits by our Worthington diesels. The locomotive has been bought by our Hon. Secretary Barry Bull, very many thanks Berry, for a very useful addition to the stud.Worthington diesels 1969 – Pic from D. Bathurst’s Collection

There was to be more news about this loco and about the Fifteenth Anniversary Dinner in the next Newsletter. I think that this was about the first time that the following Newsletter was referred to. When I first started my Bits & Pieces from Newsletters and magazines, I knew that there were about two or three missing from 50 years worth. Sod’s Law dictates that No.11 – the next one – was one of them!